US1026919A - Vending-machine. - Google Patents

Description

T. & W. LBBMANN..

VBN DING MACHINE.

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@milf/af ATT'y UNITED STATES BJTENT OFFICE'.

THEODOR LEEMANN AND WALTER LEHMANN, 0F ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

vENDING-MACHINE.

To all whom 'it may conca-rn:

Be it known that we, THEoDoR LEEMANN and WALTER LEEMANN, citizens of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Zurich, in the Canton of Zurich, Republic of Switzerland, (whose post-office address is Brsenstrasse 10, Zurich,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending- Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the aart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to let-ters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in coin controlled automatic machines and has particular reference te machines for delivering post cards or like flat articles.

According to the present invention the post cards or like articles are carried by carriers which latter are supported by relatively movable supports that are relatively displaced by the coin control mechanism whereby the carriers are released one by one to deliver the post cards. Preferably the carriers are pivoted to one support and their free ends rest upon another support which is adapted to be intermittently moved relatively to the first named support Whereby the carriers are released and drop one by one thereby delivering the post cards by gravity.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example a construction embodying this invention.

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the apparatus having a plurality of delivering mechanisms. Fig. 2 is a lateral elevation of the apparatus, several parts being represented in section. Fig. 3 shows a section on line A B in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the apparatus, the side of the frame being taken away.

In the figures the numeral 2 indicates carriers or flaps on which the post cards 1 are laid. These flaps are pivotally mounted on the one side, in two stationary rails 4 by means of gudgeons 3, and their free ends rest on the flanges 5 of L shaped slide rails 6. The lower unflanged ends of these rails are provided with toothed racks in each of which engages a pinion 7 (Fig. 4). By

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 8, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

serial No. 631,953.

turning these pinions the slide rails can be displaced, during which movement 'they are guided by a traverse 9 and rollers 8. The pinions 7 are secured firmly to a shaft 10, which is rotatably mounted in the side plates 4. On one side, the shaft 10 carries a spiral spring 11, which is attached to the shaft on the one hand and to the spring housing on the other; and on the opposite side the said shaft carries a firmly secured `ratchet wheel 12, between which and an adjusting ring 13 a loose pinion 14 is arranged. To this pinion is attached a pawl 15 which engages with the ratchet wheel 12. The spiral spring 11 is wound in such a direction that when'it is able to uncoil it causes the pinion 14-and, by means of the pawl 15, the ratchet wheel 12 and the shaft 10 as well-to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow. The pinion 14 gears with the pinion 15 which, in common with a worm wheel 16, is secured on a shaft 17 (Figs. 1 to 3). The worm wheel 16 meshes with a worm 18, on the shaft of which is secured an air brake wheel 19. The worm wheel also carries a stop pin 20 which, in the position shown, makes contact with a stop disk 21, mounted firmly on a shaft 22 and carries a two-arm lever 23. The one side of this lever is provided with a coin receptacle 24, while the other side is loaded, by means of a slidable counterweight 25, so that the lever remains in a horizontal position when the coin receptacle is empty. Adjacent the coin receptacle is the mouth of a coin channel 26, having a recess 27 and a channel 28 for sifting out coins that are too small.

29 is a chute to receive the post cards 1 that fall from the flaps 2; and 30 is a receiver with two lateral guides 31. In the front wall 32 of the casing of the machine is situated a window for exhibiting a specimen 33 of the article offered for sale.

Vhen the apparatus is emptied, the whole of t-he carriers or flaps assume the position shown in the lower portion of Fig. 2, and the slide rails 6 take up, their highest position. In order to recharge the apparatus with a fresh supply of articles f or sale, all the flaps are turned up together, whereupon the slide rails (5 are pressed down by hand into their lowest or initial position, and the flaps are allowed to drop again, being then held firmly by the flanges in the raised position. In the said downward movement of the slide rails 6, the toothed racks thereon turn the pinion 7, together with the shaft 10, in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow (Fig. 4), thus loading the spiral spring 11. The shaft 10 allows itself to be turned in this direction with ease, because during rotation iny this direction the ratchet wheel 12 slips past the pawl 15. On the other hand, when the rotation is in the direction of the arrow, said rotation being caused by the action of the coiled-up spiral spring 11, the ratchet wheel engages with the pawl, and transmits movement to ythe pinion 14 and the train of gearing in connection with same, as far as the stop pin 20. Hence rotation in this direction can only occur when the stop pin is released.

When a coin is supplied to the coin receptacle 24 through the coin channel 26, the additional weight causes the lever 23 to turn, and with it the stop disk 21, into the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, where it lets the coin fall and is returned to its original position by the counterweight 25. The worm wheel 16 has now, under the influence of the spiral spring 11, revolved on the shaft 10, thus turning the worm 18, and with this the air brake wheel 19, which latter retards the rotation of the worm wheel 14. rlhe ratios are chosen in such a manner that when the w'orm wheel has completed one revolution, the lever 23 is returned to its raised position, the stop disk 21 again holds the stop pin 20 fast, and the entire mechanism is thus prevented from turning any farther. The pinions 7 which also revolve with the shaft 10 push the slide rails 6 upward until their lateral flanges release the lowermost carrier or flap, which then falls downward and thus allows the post card to slide onto the receiver.

Asit is indicated in the gures, a plurality of mechanisms are lodged in a common frame. In place of the spring work a. weight work might be used. The describedl apparatus is also suitable for envelops, postage stamps, chocolate, etc.

What we claim is 1. An automatic machine for delivering post cards and like articles, comprising a frame, a plurality of article carriers, each of said carriers having one of its ends hinged to said frame, rails supporting the free ends of the carriers, and mea-ns for raising said rails to release said article carriers.

2. An automatic machine comprising a frame, a plurality of article carriers, each of said carriers having one of its ends hinged to said frame, sliding rails forming acute angles with the article carriers, iianges on the rails and supporting the free ends of the carriers, guiding rollers on the sides of the frame for the rails, and means for raising said rails to release said article carriers.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THEODOR LEEMANN. WALTER LEEMANN.

Witnesses HERMANN HUBER, AUGUST PRIEGG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the y Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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